By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
The Central Joint Ambulance District received no bids for ambulance service provider by noon Wednesday when bids were set to be opened in Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall’s office.
The CJAD had two bid packets taken, but zero bids came in to provide ambulance service. The contract for an ambulance service provider went back up for bid after it was revealed that Life Support CEO Kris Kennedy had no intention of paying the $50,000 performance bond.
Board President Dale Sipe said that he would still like to see the performance bond paid, but for the time being Life Support will continue to answer local calls.
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“We are very fortunate to have an ambulance district that seen what’s coming, made arrangements with them (Life Support) if there wasn’t a contract to continue on, and do a fine job that they are doing, and until final notice they are the one,” Sipe said.
Sipe noted that the ambulance district members should meet with their township trustees, village, and city officials about a potential EMS levy in the event a subsidy would be required to secure a service provider, or in the event that no ambulance service is available for the district.
In Life Support’s report to the CJAD Life Support COO Jesse Sipes reported that the ambulance service responded to 210 9-1-1 calls in the month of June and 193 calls in the month of July.
The next CJAD meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 in the basement of the Crawford County Justice Center.